Ever looked up at that giant concrete needle in Toronto and wondered, honestly, how high is the CN Tower? It’s a bit of a trick question because it depends on whether you're counting the tippy-top of the antenna or the place where your feet are actually standing while you're eating a overpriced (but delicious) steak.
The short answer? It’s exactly 553.3 meters high. That’s 1,815.5 feet for the imperial crowd.
But if you’re standing at the base in 2026, looking at the construction cranes of nearby "supertall" skyscrapers like SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge, the perspective shifts. For a long time, this thing was the undisputed king of the world. It held the title of the world’s tallest free-standing structure for a staggering 32 years until the Burj Khalifa decided to ruin the party in 2007.
The Breakdown: Meters, Feet, and "Moose"
When we talk about height, we’re usually talking about the very tip of the broadcast antenna. That antenna alone is roughly 102 meters (335 feet) tall. To get it up there, they used a giant helicopter nicknamed "Olga." Basically, Olga flew 44 different sections into place like a high-stakes game of Lego.
Here is the "walkthrough" of how high you can actually go:
🔗 Read more: Pic of Spain Flag: Why You Probably Have the Wrong One and What the Symbols Actually Mean
- The Foundation: You don't see this part, obviously. It goes about 15 meters (50 feet) underground. They had to dig out 62,000 tons of earth and shale just to keep the thing from tipping over into Lake Ontario.
- The Glass Floor: This is sitting at 342 meters (1,122 feet). Kinda terrifying, right? The glass is 2.5 inches thick. Fun fact: it can supposedly hold the weight of 35 adult moose. I don't know who tested that, but I'm not volunteering to be the 36th.
- 360 Restaurant: You’re eating at 351 meters (1,151 feet). The floor rotates once every 72 minutes. It’s the highest wine cellar in the world, which is a weirdly specific Guinness World Record to hold, but hey, we'll take it.
- EdgeWalk: If you're one of those people who likes leaning over the abyss, you're doing that at 356 meters (1,168 feet). That’s about 116 storeys up.
- The SkyPod: This is the highest point the public can reach. It sits at 447 meters (1,465 feet). On a clear day, you can actually see the mist from Niagara Falls or the skyline of Rochester, New York.
Why is it so tall, anyway?
Back in the 60s, Toronto had a problem. The city was booming, and developers were building skyscrapers everywhere. These new buildings were blocking all the radio and TV signals. It was a telecommunications nightmare.
Basically, the Canadian National Railway (the "CN" in the name) decided they needed an antenna that was taller than everything else—and everything that might be built in the future. They didn't just want a tower; they wanted a statement.
The engineering is actually pretty wild. The tower is tapered to keep it stable. It’s designed to withstand an 8.5 magnitude earthquake. It can also handle winds up to 420 kilometers per hour. To put that in perspective, if a hurricane that strong hit Toronto, the tower would be the last thing standing.
Still the King of the Western Hemisphere?
People often ask if the CN Tower is still a "supertall." In the world of architecture, a supertall is any building over 300 meters. The CN Tower easily clears that. However, strictly speaking, it's a "tower" and not a "building" because less than 50% of its height is occupied floors.
💡 You might also like: Seeing Universal Studios Orlando from Above: What the Maps Don't Tell You
In Toronto's 2026 skyline, new giants are rising. The "SkyTower" is pushing toward 345 meters. That’s taller than First Canadian Place (the former building champ), but it’s still nearly 200 meters shorter than the CN Tower’s antenna.
One World Trade Center in New York is often compared to it. That building reaches 1,776 feet (symbolic, obviously). The CN Tower is 1,815 feet. So yeah, Toronto still holds the crown for the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere.
A Few Weird Records You Didn't Know
- The Staircase: There are 1,776 steps reaching the main pod. It’s the longest metal staircase on Earth. They only open it for charity climbs, which is good, because nobody wants to do that on a Tuesday morning for fun.
- Lightning: The tower gets hit by lightning about 75 to 100 times a year. It has a massive grounding system so the people inside don't even feel a tickle.
- The Weight: The whole thing weighs about 118,000 metric tonnes. That’s roughly the weight of 23,000 elephants.
Actionable Tips for Your Visit
If you're planning to actually go up and see how high the CN Tower is for yourself, don't just show up at noon on a Saturday. You'll spend three hours in a line.
Go at sunset. You get the daylight view, the "golden hour" for photos, and the city lights all in one ticket. Also, if you book a reservation at the 360 Restaurant, your lift ticket is usually included in the price of the meal (check the current 2026 pricing, as it fluctuates). It's often cheaper than buying a separate observation ticket and a burger elsewhere.
📖 Related: How Long Ago Did the Titanic Sink? The Real Timeline of History's Most Famous Shipwreck
Check the visibility report on their official site before you buy. If it’s a "low visibility" day, you’re basically paying $45 to stand inside a very expensive cloud. Wait for the sky to clear so you can actually see the curve of the Earth.
Pack light, too. Security is like the airport. They won't let you bring large bags up to the SkyPod because the elevator is basically a glass sardine can.
Next Steps for Your Trip:
Download the official "CN Tower Viewfinder" app before you go. It uses augmented reality to point out exactly what you're looking at in the distance, which is way better than squinting at a map. If you're feeling brave, book the EdgeWalk at least two weeks in advance; those spots fill up fast during the summer months.